The loss of youthful contours in the face can be due to variety of factors, including thinning of the skin, loss of facial fat, gravity, sun damage, smoking, as well as heredity and stress. A facelift or Rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of aging in the face and neck.

Other procedures that might be performed in conjunction with a facelift are brow lift and eyelid surgery to rejuvenate aging eyes. Fat transfer or fillers may be suggested to replace the lost fatty volume. Skin treatments such as IPL, dermabrasion, peels or laser may be offered to improve the quality and texture of the skin.

Ideal candidate for a facelift

The following are some common facial characteristics that make you an appropriate candidate for a facelift:

• Sagging skin in your midface and/or jawline
• Deep creases extending from your nose to the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds)
• Lines extending from each corner of your mouth down your chin (marionette lines)
• Facial fat (volume) that has fallen or is displaced
• Sagging and loss of muscle tone in the lower face, resulting in jowls
• A double chin, resulting from loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw
Creased and sagging skin in your neck

If you are in good general health, have a positive attitude and realistic expectations, you are most likely a good candidate for this procedure.

Procedure

A facelift procedure includes the following steps:

Step 1 – Anesthesia

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.

Step 2 – The incision

Depending on the degree of change you'd like to see, your facelift choices include a traditional facelift, limited incision facelift or a neck lift.

A traditional facelift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck and underlying tissue is repositioned, commonly the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted. Skin is redraped over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away.

A second incision under the chin may be necessary to further improve an aging neck. Sutures or skin adhesives close the incisions.

Traditional Facelift

An alternative to a traditional facelift uses shorter incisions at the temples, continuing around the ear. "Mini-lifts" are usually reserved for patients with less skin relaxation, as the results are less rejuvenating than a full facelft.

Limited Incision

A necklift addresses the sagging jowls, loose neck skin and fat accumulation under the chin. The neck lift incision often begins in front of the ear lobe and wraps around behind the ear, and ends in the posterior hair behind the ear.

Neck Lift

Step 3 – Closing the incisions

The incisions will be closed with sutures that may dissolve or may need to be removed after a few days. Some surgeons use skin glues to seal the incisions. Once healed, the incision lines from a facelift are well concealed within the hairline and in the natural contours of the face and ear.

Step 4 – See the results

The visible improvements of a facelift appear once swelling and bruising subside. Your final result should not only restore a more youthful and rested appearance, but also help you feel more confident about yourself. It will not erase loss of volume and permanent creases, particularly around the lips. Further procedures like laser resurfacing or chemical peels can improve those lines and can be carried out in conjunction with a facelift. Dermal fillers may also be used in conjunction with a facelift to help fill hollow areas of the face.

Recovery

Immediately after the Facelift surgery, bandages are gently placed about the head and face for 24 hours. Stitches around the ears will be removed in a few days. The scalp sutures will be removed in 7-10 days. To minimize scarring, the doctor may remove the sutures in stages. Scarring fades quickly. Swelling and discoloration decrease within two to three weeks. Feeling of tightness in your face will be present for several weeks, which will soften gradually. In the Facelift, patients can expect some swelling of the face and eyelids and some discoloration is common with any type of facial surgery. This is most notable on the second and third days and diminishes in approximately one week. However, this also depends on your type of skin, age and healing ability. We recommend you to avoid sun exposure for few weeks after surgery. Life-long sun protection will help to maintain your rejuvenated appearance by minimizing photo-aging or sun damage. In addition, a healthy lifestyle will also help extend the results of your rejuvenated, more youthful appearance.

Risks and Safety

The decision to have plastic surgery is extremely personal and you will have to weigh the potential benefits in achieving your goals with the risks and potential complications of facelift surgery

Facelift risks, while rare, include:

• Anesthesia risks
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Poor wound healing and skin loss
• Facial nerve injury with weakness
• Temporary or permanent hair loss at the incisions
• Fluid accumulation
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Persistent pain
• Unfavorable scarring
• Prolonged swelling
• Skin irregularities and discoloration
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
• Unsatisfactory results may include: asymmetry, unsatisfactory surgical scar location and unacceptable visible deformities at the ends of the incisions. (It may be necessary to perform an additional surgery to improve your results)
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications